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Monday, January 23, 2012

Economic Impact of Wind Farms and Forest Payments in Local News

Two recent articles reveal the impact of wind farms and logging on income and employment in rural areas.

An article in the Statesman Journal talks about how the extra money from wind farms in Sherman County has helped local businesses, rural towns, and schools. "Every household in Sherman County receives around $590 each year," the story notes, "regardless of whether they have turbines on their property. " Get more information in the full article.

The second article comes from The Oregonian, and discusses the impact on counties that face the end of federal forest payments. As logging on Federal lands has declined over the years, Congress approved timber payments to help mitigate lost revenues. According to a 2009 Governor's Task Force report, rural counties may lose an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 jobs when these payments end, while a study by Oregon State University estimates that local business sales could drop by up to $400 million. Get more details in the full story.

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